To add a layer in Procreate, tap the Layers icon in the top-right corner of the canvas, then tap the + button at the top of the Layers panel. The new, empty layer is inserted directly above whichever layer is currently active. You can also create layers by duplicating an existing one or by inserting a photo or file from the Actions menu.

How to add a new layer in Procreate

This is the fastest route, and it takes about two seconds once you've done it a few times.

1. Open your canvas and tap the Layers icon (two overlapping squares) in the top-right toolbar.
2. In the Layers panel, tap the + button at the top right.
3. A new transparent layer appears above the active layer, and it becomes the layer you draw on.

Placement matters because the new layer inherits its position from whatever is selected. If you have a background element selected and press +, the new layer sits directly above it, not at the top of the stack. Check which layer is highlighted before you start painting, since everything you draw lands on that one.

A fresh canvas starts with a Background Color layer and one blank layer. That's your starting point, and you can build up from there.

Other ways to add layers

Pressing + isn't the only way to get a layer into your document. In production-style workflows, you'll often use one of these instead.

Duplicate an existing layer

Swipe left on a layer in the panel to reveal Lock, Duplicate, and Delete (or Clear if it's the only layer). Duplicate creates an identical copy of the layer. This is the safest way to try a destructive change, such as a heavy blur or a color shift, without risking your original linework. It's also how you'd set up alternate versions of a frame for comparison.

Insert a photo or file

Open the Actions menu (wrench icon), choose Add, and pick an insert option for a photo or file. Procreate places the imported image on its own new layer, which you can then move, scale, and transform. This is how you'd bring in reference frames, a screenshot from a comp, or a plate you want to paint over.

Add a Private Layer

The same Add section includes a Private Layer option for photos and files. A private layer behaves like any other layer, but it won't show up in Gallery previews or in an exported Time-lapse video or replay. Use it for reference material you don't want to appear in a shared process video, without having to hide or delete it.

Create a group

Groups aren't layers in the strict sense, but they're how you keep growing stacks manageable. Swipe right on several layers to select them as secondary layers, then tap Group. You can expand or collapse the group and still drag layers around inside it.

Name and organize layers as you go

Procreate gives every layer a default name, which is useless once you pass a handful of layers. Tap a layer, choose Rename from the options menu, and give it a meaningful label. If you're going to hand the file to someone else or export layers for animation, naming is not optional.

A few habits that pay off:

• Separate by function, not just by object. Keep linework, flat color, shadows, and highlights on distinct layers so each can be adjusted independently.
• Lock finished layers. Swipe left and tap Lock so you don't accidentally paint on a layer you've already approved.
• Reorder by pressing and dragging. Tap and hold a layer, then drag it up or down to change its stacking order.
• Select multiple layers with a swipe right. Selected layers appear in a darker blue than your primary layer. Transformations and selections apply to all of them, but you can't make Adjustments with multiple layers selected, and painting only affects the primary layer.

Understand the primary layer

Procreate highlights the active layer in bright blue. Only one layer can be the primary at a time, and every brush stroke goes there. The most common beginner problem, "my strokes aren't showing up" or "the color's gone," usually comes down to one of three causes:

• You're painting on the wrong layer.
• The layer's visibility checkbox is off.
• Another opaque layer above it is covering your work.

Turn layers on and off with the checkbox on the right side of each row to isolate where the content actually lives. If you have trouble finding which layer holds a specific element, turn on Layer Select under Actions > Prefs > Gesture Controls. It lets you touch content on the canvas and pick its layer without opening the panel.

Change how layers interact

Adding layers is only useful if you can control how they combine.

Blend modes

By default, a layer is opaque and covers what's beneath it. Tap the small letter on the right side of a layer row to open the blend mode options. Multiply for shadows, Screen or Add for glows, and Overlay for tonal shifts will feel familiar if you spend your days with After Effects transfer modes. The logic is the same, so your instincts transfer.

Layer masks

Tap a selected layer to open its options and choose Mask. A mask is edited in grayscale: painting in black hides parts of the layer, and painting in white reveals them. It's non-destructive, so you can bring back anything you hid. This is the closest analog to an After Effects layer mask or a Nuke roto-driven matte, just painted by hand.

Background color and transparency

The Background Color layer is white by default. Tap it to open the color panel and pick a different color. To work with transparency, uncheck the visibility box on the Background Color layer. This matters if you plan to export PNGs with alpha for compositing.

Adding layers in Procreate Dreams

If you're animating in Procreate Dreams, the process is similar but lives in the Drawing Layers panel. Tap the add button in the top-right corner of that panel to create a new layer. Selecting multiple layers works the same way (swipe right), and a Delete and Group option appears. Tap and hold to pick up a layer and drag it to reorder, and tap a selected layer to open its options for Rename and Mask. Blend modes are available through the small letter on the right of each layer.

Common problems when adding layers

• The + button doesn't seem to do anything. Check that the Layers panel is open and scroll to the top. The new layer may be placed above a selected layer farther down the stack than you expected.
• You can't add more layers. If you hit a limit, try merging layers you've finished with.
• A layer won't accept paint. It may be locked. Swipe left and unlock it, then confirm it's the highlighted primary layer.
• Your imported photo is the wrong size. Use the Transform tool to scale it. Inserted images arrive on their own layer, so transforming them won't affect the rest of your art.

From Procreate layers to a motion pipeline

If you're a motion designer or VFX artist, you probably use Procreate for boardframes, hand-painted textures, matte paintings, or cel-style frames, then finish elsewhere. Good layer discipline pays off at export. Procreate's Share menu lets you export your layers as bulk individual images or as a multi-page PDF, and it can also export a simple looping animation. Clean names and logical grouping mean the files land in After Effects, Nuke, or Blender ready to use, rather than as "Layer 47" through "Layer 63."

A few practical tips for that handoff:

• Keep each moving element on its own layer so you can animate it separately in After Effects.
• Hide or remove reference layers before export.
• Turn off the background color if you need alpha.
• Match canvas dimensions to your comp resolution up front, so you aren't resampling later.

Where Styleframe fits after you've built your layers

Once you have layered Procreate artwork, a common next problem is turning a few key drawings into finished motion without losing your artistic intent. Styleframe is an AI video and motion tool built for that kind of controlled work.

Your Procreate layers remain the source of truth for the artwork, and your compositor remains the place where everything is finished.

Quick recap

• Tap the Layers icon, then +, to add a new layer above the active one.
• Use Duplicate, Insert Photo/File, and Private Layer when you need something other than a blank layer.
• Rename, group, lock, and reorder as you go so your file stays usable.
• Use blend modes and masks to control how layers interact without destroying work.
• Plan your layer structure for export if the art is headed into a motion pipeline.

Once adding layers becomes reflex, the real skill is deciding what deserves its own layer. Separate anything you might want to change, animate, or composite independently later, and you'll rarely regret it.

To add a layer in Procreate, tap the Layers icon in the top-right corner of the canvas, then tap the + button at the top of the Layers panel. The new, empty layer is inserted directly above whichever layer is currently active. You can also create layers by duplicating an existing one or by inserting a photo or file from the Actions menu.

How to add a new layer in Procreate

This is the fastest route, and it takes about two seconds once you've done it a few times.

1. Open your canvas and tap the Layers icon (two overlapping squares) in the top-right toolbar.
2. In the Layers panel, tap the + button at the top right.
3. A new transparent layer appears above the active layer, and it becomes the layer you draw on.

Placement matters because the new layer inherits its position from whatever is selected. If you have a background element selected and press +, the new layer sits directly above it, not at the top of the stack. Check which layer is highlighted before you start painting, since everything you draw lands on that one.

A fresh canvas starts with a Background Color layer and one blank layer. That's your starting point, and you can build up from there.

Other ways to add layers

Pressing + isn't the only way to get a layer into your document. In production-style workflows, you'll often use one of these instead.

Duplicate an existing layer

Swipe left on a layer in the panel to reveal Lock, Duplicate, and Delete (or Clear if it's the only layer). Duplicate creates an identical copy of the layer. This is the safest way to try a destructive change, such as a heavy blur or a color shift, without risking your original linework. It's also how you'd set up alternate versions of a frame for comparison.

Insert a photo or file

Open the Actions menu (wrench icon), choose Add, and pick an insert option for a photo or file. Procreate places the imported image on its own new layer, which you can then move, scale, and transform. This is how you'd bring in reference frames, a screenshot from a comp, or a plate you want to paint over.

Add a Private Layer

The same Add section includes a Private Layer option for photos and files. A private layer behaves like any other layer, but it won't show up in Gallery previews or in an exported Time-lapse video or replay. Use it for reference material you don't want to appear in a shared process video, without having to hide or delete it.

Create a group

Groups aren't layers in the strict sense, but they're how you keep growing stacks manageable. Swipe right on several layers to select them as secondary layers, then tap Group. You can expand or collapse the group and still drag layers around inside it.

Name and organize layers as you go

Procreate gives every layer a default name, which is useless once you pass a handful of layers. Tap a layer, choose Rename from the options menu, and give it a meaningful label. If you're going to hand the file to someone else or export layers for animation, naming is not optional.

A few habits that pay off:

• Separate by function, not just by object. Keep linework, flat color, shadows, and highlights on distinct layers so each can be adjusted independently.
• Lock finished layers. Swipe left and tap Lock so you don't accidentally paint on a layer you've already approved.
• Reorder by pressing and dragging. Tap and hold a layer, then drag it up or down to change its stacking order.
• Select multiple layers with a swipe right. Selected layers appear in a darker blue than your primary layer. Transformations and selections apply to all of them, but you can't make Adjustments with multiple layers selected, and painting only affects the primary layer.

Understand the primary layer

Procreate highlights the active layer in bright blue. Only one layer can be the primary at a time, and every brush stroke goes there. The most common beginner problem, "my strokes aren't showing up" or "the color's gone," usually comes down to one of three causes:

• You're painting on the wrong layer.
• The layer's visibility checkbox is off.
• Another opaque layer above it is covering your work.

Turn layers on and off with the checkbox on the right side of each row to isolate where the content actually lives. If you have trouble finding which layer holds a specific element, turn on Layer Select under Actions > Prefs > Gesture Controls. It lets you touch content on the canvas and pick its layer without opening the panel.

Change how layers interact

Adding layers is only useful if you can control how they combine.

Blend modes

By default, a layer is opaque and covers what's beneath it. Tap the small letter on the right side of a layer row to open the blend mode options. Multiply for shadows, Screen or Add for glows, and Overlay for tonal shifts will feel familiar if you spend your days with After Effects transfer modes. The logic is the same, so your instincts transfer.

Layer masks

Tap a selected layer to open its options and choose Mask. A mask is edited in grayscale: painting in black hides parts of the layer, and painting in white reveals them. It's non-destructive, so you can bring back anything you hid. This is the closest analog to an After Effects layer mask or a Nuke roto-driven matte, just painted by hand.

Background color and transparency

The Background Color layer is white by default. Tap it to open the color panel and pick a different color. To work with transparency, uncheck the visibility box on the Background Color layer. This matters if you plan to export PNGs with alpha for compositing.

Adding layers in Procreate Dreams

If you're animating in Procreate Dreams, the process is similar but lives in the Drawing Layers panel. Tap the add button in the top-right corner of that panel to create a new layer. Selecting multiple layers works the same way (swipe right), and a Delete and Group option appears. Tap and hold to pick up a layer and drag it to reorder, and tap a selected layer to open its options for Rename and Mask. Blend modes are available through the small letter on the right of each layer.

Common problems when adding layers

• The + button doesn't seem to do anything. Check that the Layers panel is open and scroll to the top. The new layer may be placed above a selected layer farther down the stack than you expected.
• You can't add more layers. If you hit a limit, try merging layers you've finished with.
• A layer won't accept paint. It may be locked. Swipe left and unlock it, then confirm it's the highlighted primary layer.
• Your imported photo is the wrong size. Use the Transform tool to scale it. Inserted images arrive on their own layer, so transforming them won't affect the rest of your art.

From Procreate layers to a motion pipeline

If you're a motion designer or VFX artist, you probably use Procreate for boardframes, hand-painted textures, matte paintings, or cel-style frames, then finish elsewhere. Good layer discipline pays off at export. Procreate's Share menu lets you export your layers as bulk individual images or as a multi-page PDF, and it can also export a simple looping animation. Clean names and logical grouping mean the files land in After Effects, Nuke, or Blender ready to use, rather than as "Layer 47" through "Layer 63."

A few practical tips for that handoff:

• Keep each moving element on its own layer so you can animate it separately in After Effects.
• Hide or remove reference layers before export.
• Turn off the background color if you need alpha.
• Match canvas dimensions to your comp resolution up front, so you aren't resampling later.

Where Styleframe fits after you've built your layers

Once you have layered Procreate artwork, a common next problem is turning a few key drawings into finished motion without losing your artistic intent. Styleframe is an AI video and motion tool built for that kind of controlled work.

Your Procreate layers remain the source of truth for the artwork, and your compositor remains the place where everything is finished.

Quick recap

• Tap the Layers icon, then +, to add a new layer above the active one.
• Use Duplicate, Insert Photo/File, and Private Layer when you need something other than a blank layer.
• Rename, group, lock, and reorder as you go so your file stays usable.
• Use blend modes and masks to control how layers interact without destroying work.
• Plan your layer structure for export if the art is headed into a motion pipeline.

Once adding layers becomes reflex, the real skill is deciding what deserves its own layer. Separate anything you might want to change, animate, or composite independently later, and you'll rarely regret it.